Josh Reeves

Meet the absolute unit that is Josh Reeves. This guy’s the real deal in the startup world. He’s the CEO and co-founder of Gusto, which is basically the go-to payroll and HR platform for small businesses. Started all this back in 2012 after he jumped into Y Combinator’s W12 batch – that’s like the startup bootcamp where everyone’s trying to build the future trend. And man, he crushed it.

Before all this, Josh was into engineering – got both his bachelor’s and master’s from Stanford, which is no joke. He even got some fancy awards there, like the Terman Engineering award and was a Mayfield Fellow. Basically, he’s super smart and technically sharp. But what’s crazy is, he didn’t just stay in the tech bubble. He started his first company, Unwrap, which was a SaaS startup, and sold that in 2010. Before that, he was an early employee at Zazzle, so he’s been around the block.

But what’s really cool is how he’s built Gusto. The company’s now worth almost $10 billion – yeah, billion with a B – and rakes in over $500 million in annual recurring revenue. That’s no small feat. He’s served thousands of small businesses, making payroll and HR stuff way easier, and honestly, he’s changed the game for a lot of entrepreneurs out there. It’s like he saw a problem that a lot of small biz owners had, and he made a solution that’s simple, reliable, and expandable.

What’s dope about Josh is his leadership style. He’s known for being values-driven – not just chasing the dollar, but really caring about the impact he’s making. That’s probably why he’s been named one of the ‘Most Admired CEOs’ in SF and made Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list back in 2012. You can tell he’s about doing good while doing well.

So, what’s his story? It’s all about curiosity, hustle, and a real desire to solve problems that matter. He started with engineering, saw how tech could help people, and then jumped into startups, learning the ropes with Zazzle and his own company. When he got into YC, he took that momentum and built Gusto from the ground up. He’s not just in it for the money – he genuinely wants to make work better for small businesses, which often get the short end of the stick.

Long story short, Josh Reeves is a guy who saw a problem, jumped into the deep end, and built a juggernaut that’s changing how millions of small business owners run their stuff. He’s a perfect example of what happens when you combine smarts, values, and hustle. No Cap, this guy’s inspiring.